A 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook part of central Indonesia’s Sulawesi island today, causing scattered damage.
The initial quake was centred 43 kilometres east-southeast of Palu, and the US Geological Survey said it was about 10 kilometres deep. Several aftershocks followed, the strongest being of 5.2 magnitude. Authorities reported scattered damage to buildings.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami but warned aftershocks could continue. Indonesia is crossed by several seismic faults, and earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.
The strong shaking sent people fleeing into open areas in and around Palu, a city of about 400,000 people and the capital of Central Sulawesi province. Several hospitals evacuated patients, some with IV drips, outdoors as a safety measure.